Computer labs are generally categorized as either open or departmental. Open labs are available to all FLC students and contain a standard set of software that is centrally funded. Departmental labs contain much of the standard software that is available in open labs but are differentiated by discipline-specific software that is typically funded by a specific department or departments. Departmental labs are required to follow all FLC IT and Purchasing policies and procedures relative to software procurement and installation as outlined in this document.
The following guidelines apply to the installation and funding of software in both open and departmental computer labs as outlined in Policy IT-0004. 

  1. A standard set of software for general use will be established and maintained by The Information Technology Department. Software will be added to this list in consultation with the CIO, Provost, and the Director of Teaching and Learning. This software is funded centrally.
  2. Any lab-related software requests need to be submitted via the annual Faculty Software Survey. The survey is sent to all FLC faculty and department chairs at the beginning of the spring semester, typically during the first week of February. Survey submissions are due April 1st. Failure to submit the survey will result in delays to the software installation process, which could impact the software availability at the start of the semester. The survey allows IT to plan for the development and deployment of the lab image for the following academic year.
  3. Software requests made outside of the Faculty Software Survey window must be submitted as a ticket to askIT. Please include all items in the software requisition checklist found here. All final software procurement and installation determinations/decisions will be made by the CIO in concert with the Provost and the Director of Teaching and Learning.
  4. The lab image development begins after all software requests have been submitted and vetted by IT. This process includes verifying a funding source for the software, review of terms and conditions by the CIO, and ensuring that the software is in compliance with all FLC IT security policies and procedures.
  5. Due to the complexity of developing a lab image with over 100 software titles, IT has mandated a strict adherence to the following installation timeline:
    Fall Semester:                 Request Deadline June 1st
    Spring Semester:                 Request Deadline October 1st
    Summer Instructional Sessions:         Request Deadline April 1st
    Software installation requests submitted outside of the above windows are subject to delays of up to sixty days.
  6. Lab stability supersedes all software requests and as such no software will be installed outside of these installation windows without rigorous and comprehensive testing per IT change management and testing protocols. 
  7. Any software installation requests submitted outside of the installation window are subject to the following stipulations:
    1. Once the software is approved and funded, the software will undergo extensive testing, including how it interacts with other software in the lab environment.
    2. The faculty member who requested the software will test the software in conjunction with IT and sign off an acknowledgement that the software is installed properly and behaving as expected.
    3. The software will then be deployed and available for use in our virtual lab machines for the remainder of the school year to ensure it does not conflict with the current campus lab image.
    4. The software will be deployed in the campus lab image the following academic year to not compromise the stability of the campus lab image for the current academic year.
    5. No software requests outside of the above installation windows will be installed and deployed in the campus lab image until the following school year.
  8. All lab software must be vendor-supported including regular security updates and patches. No unsupported software will be installed in any FLC open or departmental labs. All software must be compatible with the current lab hardware and operating system and cannot conflict with any currently installed software.